


Tactician's Revenge

by WingbladeOfTarn



Series: Tactician's Change [2]
Category: The Transformers (IDW Generation One), Transformers - All Media Types, Transformers MTMTE - Fandom
Genre: Abuse, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, I might forget someone - Freeform, I'll add more characters as I write - Freeform, M/M, Torture, sorry i suck at this
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-18
Updated: 2020-09-17
Packaged: 2021-02-27 14:01:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,574
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22308340
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WingbladeOfTarn/pseuds/WingbladeOfTarn
Summary: Prowl had more than one tormentor. And as he discovers, there was more than one victim of those tormentors.This will primarily focus on Deadlock x Rodimus, but there will definitely be Prowl x Jazz sprinkled in there!
Relationships: Blaze/Deadlock, Prowl/Jazz, Rodimus/Deadlock
Series: Tactician's Change [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1573549
Comments: 13
Kudos: 33





	1. Awakening

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is not nice to Rodimus in the beginning, however it gets nicer as it progresses. Also, if you like Thunderclash, Don't read this.

Prowl still wasn’t satisfied. None of the Autobots had been kind to him or had been worthy of his talents. His lips curled up with distaste. He had gotten rid of Sentinel, the disgusting mech who had beaten him and healed him to continue the abuse. One thing he had never told Jazz, Megatron, or any of the other Decepticons, was that someone had walked in on the beating. The mech hadn’t cared, just had nodded to Sentinel and walked out. He wasn’t on Earth, which was why Prowl hadn’t killed him. But, most of the Autobots loved him. Prowl would be patient. Prowl would wait until they got to Earth, wait until they got a human, wait until everyone was attached to him again. And then he would get his revenge.

~~~~~~~~~~

Very few Autobots knew that Prowl was a Decepticon. And as much as Optimus hated to limit the intelligence of his troops, he decided to not tell them. Many thought that Prowl had amazing talents but had a horrible personality. They had thought that he was more of a tool instead of a Cybertronian. That, Optimus mused, was their mistake.

“Optimus?” A voice drew the Autobot leader from his thoughts.

“Yes, Blaster?”

“We have an incoming Autobot escape pod.” Optimus raised an optic ridge.

“Do we know who?”

“Not yet, sir.”

“Very well. Keep me updated,” Blaster nodded.

“Of course, sir,”

Optimus went back to musing. Who could the Autobot be? They were missing quite a few of them. Then a name popped up in his processor, and he smiled.

The pod landed exactly 7 hours later. And out of the pod stepped the Greatest Autobot of all time. Thunderclash. The swooning started almost immediately.

Rodimus was pissed. It was bad enough that everyone treated him like a mistake of the Matrix of Leadership. Optimus treated him like he was a spoiled sparkling that needed to be yelled at every second, and even though he was a stellar fighter, everyone always expected more from him. Then there was Thunderclash. The mech who was loved by everyone. The mech who got everything he wanted and more. Grumbling angrily to himself, Rodimus walked away. He didn’t know about the red optics that followed him.

When Rodimus walked into the meeting room, on time, he was stunned to see Thunderclash sitting in his chair.

“Um, excuse me, you’re in my seat,” Thunderclash looked at him.

“Really?” He smiled serenely, “Optimus told me to sit here,” A bad feeling settled in Rodimus’s tank.

“What? Why would he-“

“Rodimus! Stop acting like a spoiled sparkling! Unlike you, Thunderclash actually deserves that spot!” Ratchet barked at Rodimus. Optimus gave Rodimus a stern look of disapproval.

“You could be more welcoming to our newest arrival, Rodimus. Really, you should know this by now.”

“I-”

“Stop Talking back! Just zip it, and sit down somewhere else,” Ratchet snapped. It took all of Rodimus’s willpower not to cry as he was forced to sit in the lowest ranking chair, even though he **_outranked_ **Thunderclash.

~~~~~~~~~~

Deadlock and Prowl got along really well. They became close friends, and Prowl would often try to see if he could beat the feared Decepticon in a hand to hand. He sometimes did, sometimes didn’t. But one day Deadlock came to him looking troubled.

“I’ve noticed something,” he said. “There’s an Autobot, a Prime, to be exact-“Deadlock was cut off by Prowl’s snarl.

“Did one of them hurt you?”

“No, no. I think he’s getting hurt the same way you were. He glares at Optimus a lot, is shunned, teased, and bullied,” Deadlock shook his helm. “I just don’t know what to make of it,” Prowl thought.

“Keep this between us. I’ll look into it,” Deadlock nodded.

“Thank you, Prowl.”

~~~~~~~~~~~

“I apologize for Rodimus’s behavior, Thunderclash,” Thunderclash smiled.

“Don’t worry about it. Hmm, where is Sentinel? I heard he was on Earth. I would like to talk to him about... a hobby of his that I think I would like to pick up.” Optimus sighed.

“I’m sorry to tell you this, but he was killed in battle,”

“Really?! By whom?!” Optimus shrugged.

“We don’t know, but the same Decepticon killed Bumblebee,” Thunderclash sighed.

“That’s horrible. Do you still have his belongings? He promised me something as a gift and I would like to see it used,” Optimus nodded.

“Of course.”

When given the box that held Sentinel’s belongings, Thunderclash looked for one thing. And when he found it, he smiled a cold and cruel smile.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Rodimus hated his life. He worked hard, fought hard, did everything he was asked to, and still everyone thought he was worthless. He held tears back as he walked into the empty rec-room. Or at least he thought it was empty. He walked up to the Energon dispenser and was about to fill a cube when pain exploded across his back. Screaming, he fell to his knees.

“You don’t deserve to fuel. It would be wasted on you. You need to learn that you don’t even deserve to live. This is what will happen if I ever see you eating precious fuel that only true Autobots should have,” and the pain exploded everywhere across Rodimus’s body.

The next day he was so sore. He could barely walk, but he heard the whispers.

“ _Probably fragged some poor mech. Primus he’s such a slut.”_

“ _What a whore. Took a spike and now can’t even walk.”_

“ _Watch out, he might try to take yours next.”_

“ _Honestly, you’d think that he’d be good at that because he can’t do anything else.”_

“ _Primus, why doesn’t he just go kill himself already?”_

Tears stinging his optics, he left the rec room and went back to his quarters.

~~~~~~~~~~~

The beatings happened more and more often. Rodimus hadn’t been able to fuel for a week. His fuel percentage was at 15%. He wouldn’t be able to function if he didn’t eat. But the most horrible thing was that he was starting to believe what Thunderclash said to him every time he was beaten with the whip. Rodimus believed he was worthless. Rodimus believed he didn’t deserve to live. And Rodimus believed that he was just a mistake, and that the Matrix should have chosen Thunderclash instead of him. He looked at the blaster in his lap, given to him by Thunderclash. _Do the right thing, and rid the Autobots of the waste of space and resources you’ve become._

~~~~~~~~~~~

The Decepticons were attacking an energon mine. Megatron was well aware that many Autobots didn’t know that Prowl was a Decepticon, and was going to use him as a secret weapon. However,

his focus wasn’t exactly on the energon that the rest of his army was focused on. Prowl had told him to keep an optic out for- there. There was the one he needed to take, and who was clearly injured.

Grinning, he grabbed the bot, and ordered a ground bridge to the Nemesis.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Megatron smirked at the screen in front of him.

“Hello, Prime.”

“What do you want, Megatron?” Megatron raised an optic ridge, slightly surprised.

“Surely you know why I’m calling you?”

“No, so hurry up and make it quick.”

“You’re missing a Prime.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“The young, orange, red, and yellow one?!”

“Oh, him. Whatever, you can keep him. He’s worthless anyways-”

“No!” A new voice interrupted Optimus.

“I want him,” Thunderclash stared down Megatron. “I want him.” Megatron agin raised an optic ridge.

“Soundwave, end the call.”

“Wait! Don’t you hang up on me-!” Megatron was silent for some time, pondering. Finally, he opened his coms.

//Prowl. Jazz. Interrogate the prisoner we have. Keep in mind he might have gotten abused with the Autobots. Prime literally called him worthless.//

//Copy that.//

Rodimus woke up to black and white. He wondered where he was. All he remembered was seeing Megatron advance on the mine before he went into stasis due to starvation.

“Can you hear me? Hello?” a smooth, cool voice asked.

“I-I-yes.”

“What in the pits is wrong with you? Your optics are really unfocused,” Rodimus tried to answer, but his breath was short. His helm was spinning, and it felt as if a servo was clenched in a fist around his spark. When the pain reached it’s climax, he blacked out.

  
  


Jazz and Prowl were panicking.

“What do we do?! What’s wrong with him?!” Prowl flung the door of the interrogation room open.

“Quickstrike!” he barked. “Get Knockout in here **_now_ **!”

“Shit, Prowl, I think he’s having a spark attack!”

“Do CPR! DO you know how?!”

“Of course I don’t know how! Dammit, I’m a killer, not a doctor!” Prowl snorted.

“After this, you’re learning how to do CPR,” He strode over. “Move.”

Knockout rushed in.

“Prowl! Keep giving him CPR!” Prowl nodded. “Jazz! Open his spark chamber!” Jazz did what he was told. When he saw the young Prime’s spark he was horrified. It wasn’t pulsing, and was quickly turning grey. Knockout let a few colorful curses fly.

“Quickstrike! Nightwing! Pick him up and help me get him into the med-bay!” The young mech and femme rushed to pick up Rodimus, as Knockout furiously worked to try and save him.

Prowl and Jazz looked at each other.

“Do you think he’s going to pull through?” Jazz asked. Prowl looked completely devoid of emotion and just left the room without saying a word.

Later, Knockout called Megatron, Jazz, and Prowl to his office.

“What was the cause of the attack?” Knockout was quiet. Megatron and Jazz looked confused.

“Knockout?”

“He had an attack due to starvation. His tanks were at fifteen percent.” Jazz blanched.

“How is he even still-why-“Megatron closed his optics.

“So he was abused.” Knockout nodded.

“But starvation wasn’t the only thing that I found. He-” Knockout cut himself off, looking at Prowl. “He was beaten in the same way Prowl was, just it’s hidden worse. It’s entirely possible that people saw he was getting abused, and just didn’t care.” Prowl’s optic narrowed minutely. To the untrained optic, he looked like he didn't acre. However, Jazz could see the clenched servos, the tight and cold anger radiating off him.

“Is he awake?” Prowl asked. Knockout nodded. “I’ll go talk to him.” Megatron, Jazz, and Knockout all looked at each other with worry.

“Does anyone else feel like Prowl knows exactly what’s going on?”

~~~~~~~~~~~

Rodimus was scared out of his mind. His tanks were at 65% and rising. 66%. 67%. Shrieking, he started thrashing against his restraints.

“Take it out! Take it out! Take it out!” One of the nurses, a femme, rushed in.

“Quickstrike! Get-” She began.

“I will take care of this, Nightwing.” The femme nodded.

“Yes sir.. Do you need assistance?” Prowl shook his helm.

“I will be fine,” Rodimus’s optics were shut, as he continued to chant.

“Enough Rodimus!” Rodimus’s optics snapped open.

“S-s-sorry sir! I-I. Wait. What are you doing here?” Prowl smiled.

“Good. You’ve stopped chanting. As to the reason I’m here, is because I’m a Decepticons No, I wasn’t always a Decepticon. I defected, mostly because of what happened to you has happened to me.” Rodimus turned his helm.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Prowl raised an optic ridge.

“Why was your fuel percentage at 15% when we found you?”

“I-”

_Do the right thing, and rid the Autobots of the waste of space and resources you’ve become._

_“_ I don’t-”

_Do the right thing, and rid the Autobots of the waste of space and resources you’ve become._

_“_ I can’t. I don’t deserve it. Take it out, he’ll find out, and then he’ll-” Rodimus cut himself off with a sob. “Just take it out! I don’t deserve it! I don’t deserve it!” Prowl sighed. Gently, he put his cool servo over Rodimus’s burning one.

“Due to the fact that you won’t have a spark attack due to starvation, I will take it out. However, I need to make one thing clear. I have seen you in battle. You are almost always the reason I have to change plans last minute, and that isn’t something that many people can make me do. You have given the Autobots countless victories. Your dedication is admirable.

I know they probably told you that you’re worthless, but I know you aren’t. The Decepticons will not hurt you. I will not let them hurt you. Know this, Rodimus Prime. The Decepticons _know_ you aren’t worthless. Keep that in mind.” Prowl looked over his shoulder and sighed. “And Deadlock, stop lurking in the shadows, and get over here!”

Said mech winced and walked over. Even in Rodimus’s self loathing state, he was shocked and terrified. Deadlock was literally the most feared Decepticons (known Decepticons, Rodimus thought to himself, because he had seen Prowl fight, and he definitely should be on that list) aside from Jazz, Megatron, and Soundwave. Fear shot through his body, and even though Prowl had said no one would hurt him, he shrieked and tried to get out of his bonds. He couldn’t trust Prowl. Prowl was a Decepticon. They were not to be trusted. Prowl was the enemy. He needed to leave, he needed to go, Thunderclash would punish him for not being at his side.

Prowl and Deadlock rushed to try and soothe Rodimus. Deadlock, by complete accident, called Rodimus “Blaze.” Rodimus stopped. He stopped everything. He didn’t scream or struggle. He stopped, lie completely still, and wished he could have a second chance.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this one is so short.... whoops. Essentially Rodimus and Deadlock talking

~~~~~~~~~~~

Deadlock was worried. He wanted to get to know Rodimus better, but Rodimus would not respond to his name being called. He would stare vacantly at the wall, and to make matters worse, he wasn’t eating again. After two weeks, Deadlock had had enough.

“Listen, I know this isn’t exactly the easiest of things to go through. But you need to eat, otherwise you let Thunderclash win.” Rodimus showed no indication that he heard what Deadlock said. Rodimus stared resolutely at the wall, not saying anything.

“Look, Prowl wouldn’t have ordered the attack if he didn’t think that you could be saved-” That snatched up Rodimus’ attention.

“He what?” Deadlock blinked.

“Uh-”

“Are you telling me that Prowl ordered that attack on the mine not for the energon, but for the sole purpose of rescuing _me_?” Deadlock nodded.

“Yes, and he had Megatron, Soundwave, Starscream and Jazz keeping an eye for you. It was Megatron who found you.”

“Why? Why did Prowl rescue me?” Deadlock flushed.

“That’s uh- that’s hard to explain. He was told by an informant that something seemed off with you and the rest of the Autobots, so he looked into it. He saw how you were abused, so he ordered the attack.” Rodimus stared up at Deadlock in shock.

“I was taken on purpose. I was rescued. I-I mean something to someone.” Deadlock smiled.

“Of course you do Rod-”

“Don’t call me that.” Deadlock blinked, confused.

“But that’s your name…?”

“No. Not anymore. I-I It brings back to many painful memories. It will take a while for me to be able to fight against the urge to not eat, but I will conquer it. And when I have, I will be a new person. I will have earned a new name. I will be able to fight for myself and get revenge against Thunderclash.” Deadlock raised an optic ridge.

“You’ll need to train more,” Deadlock grinned. “Fortunately, you have a great teacher right here.” Rodimus gave a small chuckle and got up and stretched with his back to Deadlock.

“Sure. I guess,” Deadlock squawked in insult.

“ _I guess_?! Excuse you, but I happen to be very good at-” Deadlock began, sputtering in an attempt to defend his honor. Rodimus smirked over his shoulder and sent Deadlock a wink with a good natured chuckle. Deadlock’s spark literally dropped through the floor. Was he imagining things, or were those mother fragging _fangs_ that were glittering in the mech’s mouth? (and yes, that was the entire reason that his spark had dropped to the floor. Deadlock was a mighty mech, and he did not get crushes, thank you very much.)

“What were you saying, _teacher_?”

“I-I-I Since when do Autobots have fangs?” Rodimus narrowed his optics, but Deadlock saw a flicker of hurt in them. “I mean, not like they’re bad or anything, I mean personally, they look really good on you, like dangerous looking and deadly and... and... and...” Deadlock rushed to say, tripping over his words.

“No, most Autobots do not have fangs. However, my creators both had the recessive trait for fangs, so I got them.” Rodimus said, acting as a tad bit colder than he had been earlier. Deadlock noticed and winced.

“Look, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to ask you such a personal question. I-I just want to get to know you better.” Rodimus looked at him.

“One of the most deadly Decepticons in the entire army is apologizing to me? I- my sole enemies are helping me and say that they don’t want anything in return. Do you have any idea how weird it is to have someone help you and not ask for anything in return?! Do you?! Oh wait, of course you do. You’re a _Decepticon_. You never do anything without a price, so you all are just waiting for the chance to take advantage of me! Just like Optimus, just like Sentinel, and just like Thunderclash! So stay away from me, you ‘ _con_!” Rodimus spat the words out like they were poison. Deadlock stepped back for a moment, shocked. But then his optics narrowed, fury and hatred clouding them.

“Blaming me for the problems that you aren’t strong enough to solve on your own is not going to help you, _Rodimus_ _Prime,”_ Deadlock hissed the name like it was an insult. “I have done _nothing_ but try and help you through everything you’ve been through. You _chose_ to let yourself get walked all over. You were chosen by the Matrix, yet you still doubted yourself. I offer you a way to get back at your abusers, I offer you a home, and a family, and you think that because I’m a _Decepticon_ that I’m going to demand payment?! Trust me Little _Prime,_ if I wanted _payment,_ it would already be _due_. _”_ Deadlock hissed, his red optics narrowing dangerously and burning with hatred. Rodimus took a step back in fear. He suddenly remembered a key tactic to surviving an encounter with Deadlock: don’t get him mad. Deadlock saw the fear in Rodimus’s sky blue optics and angry growl ripped out of his vocolizer.

“I am trying to help you Prime. It took a lot of work to get you here without having the Autobots suspect a rescue. However, if it would please you, I can...” Deadlock paused, his deadly fangs glimmering in the dim light of the room. “...Return you where you came from.” Deadlock looked at the quivering form of Rodimus. “Think about it.”

  
  


Then he left.

  
  


~~~~~~~~~~~

The Decepticons expected Deadlock to be happy after leaving Rodimus’s quarters. They did not expect to see him angrier then the time a noble had thought he could beat Deadlock in a fight and then said noble cheated, leaving Deadlock humiliated and seething. Nightwing, seeing the fury in her commander’s optics decided to run for her life and Megatron.

“AHHHHHHHH MEGATRONNNNNNNN!!!!!!!!” Deadlock, pissed and on her heels, was quickly gaining on her. However, Nightwing had an impressive set of vocals on her, and Megatron stepped out of his office to wonder who in the Pits had screamed his designation like their life depended on it.

“What in the- oh fuck,” Megatron did a double take at Deadlock’s furious expression. “Ok, Deadlock, let’s talk this out. Calm down and explain-”

“That _ungrateful_ , little flame.” Deadlock hissed. Megatron raised an optic ridge.

“What happened…?”

“He-”

“Deadlock!” A voice interrupted him. Deadlock hissed.

“I _really_ don’t want to hear it. Let me talk to Megatron you-”

“Please, this is important!” Deadlock snarled.

“What-! Oh gods.” Quickstrike, looking like he had just had a fight with lava, was looking at Deadlock with a pleading gaze.

“Please sir. You’ve gotta stop him. He’s gone insane. He’s trying to flush himself out of the airlock. We’re fighting him, but we can’t hold him off for much longer. It’s hard to fight someone made of pure fire.” Deadlock let loose a string of curses that would have had Unicron’s ears bleeding. He took of at top speed to the airlocks. He just hoped he made it in time.

  
  


Just as Rodimus slammed the last defender of the airlock out of his way, a smooth velvet voice stopped him.

“You’ve made quite the mess here, haven’t you?” Rodimus whirled around to see Deadlock surveying the room.

“Deadlock...” He whispered. Deadlock hummed thoughtfully.

“Trying to flush yourself out of the airlock?” A low chuckle reverberated from Deadlock’s chassis. “You’re going to have to go through me to get to it, Little Flame.” Needless to say, Deadlock had Rodimus pinned to the ground in five seconds flat.

“Stay down, Little Prime. Do not let all of my efforts go to waste.” Rodimus stared at him with a self loathing fury.

“What effort?!” nonchalant look crossed Deadlock’s face.

“It was not exactly easy spying and gathering data about you and your abuse without getting caught, you know.” Rodimus’s optics widened.

“W-what?”

“It was _I_ that informed Prowl about your abuse. It was _I_ that demanded a rescue for you. It was _I_ that made sure none of the high ranking Autobots saw you getting rescued by Megatron. And it was _I_ that donated the energon to keep you alive." 


	3. To Keep A Fire, You Must Be Gentle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rodimus Rodimus Rodimus. Some people know what you're going through better than you could ever understand

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *cough* Sorry! I stopped posting because I was going to shut down my account. but then I thought, /nah/. So here you go!

Rodimus was in shock. He was unable to believe that Deadlock had put in that much effort into him, that anyone would put that much effort into him. He was taken to the med-bay, where Knockout and his assistant fussed over him until he fell into recharge. When he awoke, he saw the leader of the Decepticons himself waiting by his bed.

“Ah, I see you are awake, Little Prime.” Rodimus whimpered. Would Megatron send him back for hurting his crew? He probably would. He had almost destroyed the airlock. He heard a sigh.

“Calm down Prime. I will not hurt you in anyway. I would just like to know what happened. Before we were told of you trying to, ahem, leave, Deadlock was furious. He is not one to loose his temper.”

“I insulted him,” Rodimus whispered. “I insulted the one person who’s ever though of me as worth something.” A tear slid down his cheek. “Thunderclash was right. I’m just a walking mistake.” Megatron sighed.

“I do believe there are many here who would disagree with you.” Prowl stepped into the room.

“Megatron, if I could please speak to him alone for a minute?” Megatron nodded.

“Of course.” He got up and left, but not without giving Rodimus a small smile. Prowl took a seat on the chair beside Rodimus’s bed. Prowl sighed.

“Do you know why I left the Autobots?” Rodimus blinked.

“No… I didn’t even know you left until yesterday.” Prowl hummed.

“I suppose that makes sense. But I left the Autobots for the same reason we rescued you.” Rodimus blanched.

“What?” Prowl stared at the far wall, seemingly lost in thought.

“They hated me.”

“But-but, you were second in command! The best tactical officer-”

“They still hated me. They thought of me as a drone with no feelings, a sparkless mech. One day, I walked into the rec-room, just to get some energon. Sentinel was there, holding an electric whip. He beat me. And then he did it again the next day, and again, and again, and again, and again, and _again_. After every beating, he would heal me with the Allspark. And just to make things easier, he planted a device that would create an illusion, a hologram I suppose, that would hide anything that wasn’t healed.” Prowl tore his gaze from the wall and looked into Rodimus’s wide optics. “Where did Thunderclash beat you Rodimus?” He asked softly. Rodimus closed his optics. He vividly remembered his last beating.

_“You know, this is all your fault. If you weren’t so ungrateful, so useless, so wasteful, this wouldn’t be happening._ ” _Rodimus sobbed as Thunderclash held him over his his lap, tracing his spoiler with the whip. Thunderclash crooned._

_“That’s right. Let me hear your beautiful little sobs. I am the only one in control, you know that don’t you? That I hold all the power. I can make people love you, or I can make them hate you even more. I want to help you Rodimus, but you’ll have to do_ _**everything** _ _I say.”_ _Thunderclash lay the whip down. “Now, I know you’ve been good with not eating energon. You will get a reward.” He held out an energon goodie. Rodimus reacher for it with trembling hands. Thunderclash pulled it away with a little ‘tsk’._

_“Now, now. What do we say?”_

_“I-I am worthless, I am weak, I do not deserved to be treated with such kindness. Pl-Please reconsider your actions.” Rodimus choked out between sobs. Thunderclash grinned and handed him the goodie._

_“Good boy.”_

“Rodimus. Stay with me. You’re safe, he’s not going to hurt you anymore.” Rodimus opened his optics with a stuttered breath.

“Breathe with me Rodimus. In and out. In and out. In and out.” Rodimus slowly got his breathing under control, and blinked away his tears once more.

“He l-liked to have me over hi lap. And then hit with Sentinel’s whip. I-I-”

“Shhh...” Prowl soothed. “Don’t over exert yourself. You did amazing just by being able to tell me. That’s all you have to do for now. Take another deep breath. Relax. Calm down. You are safe.”

“Please, please can I apologize to Deadlock?” Prowl smiled.

“Of course. I will go and get him. Is there anything else that you want?” Rodimus shook his head.

“I just need to apologize.” Prowl tipped his helm and left. Soon the med-bay door crashed open and Deadlock stormed in.

“About damn time you let me in!” He yelled in the direction of Knockout’s office. A muffled ‘frag you’ was his response. Deadlock turned his attention to Rodimus.

“So, Little Flame. How are we doing?” Rodimus took a deep breath.

“I’m feeling better. But, I wanted to apologize. The things I said to you were horrible,” Rodimus winced. “I of all people should know what’s it’s like to be judged for things you haven’t done.” Deadlock smiled warmly.

“Both sides in this war spread misinformation about each other. It’s fine.” Deadlock coked his helm to the side.

“However, when we were talking in my quarters earlier, you said you wanted a new name. Have you chosen one yet?” Rodimus winced.

“I-I don’t know. I’m scared that this is all a test, that I’ll be returned to him and-” Rodimus was cut off by a growl from Deadlock.

“It was a pain in the ass to get you here. I won’t let you go no matter what,” Deadlock flashed him a grin. “Sorry Little Flame, but you’re stuck with me.” Rodimus smiled as his tears started again.

“You mean it? You won’t let them take me?” Deadlock gently took his hand.

“Yeah. I mean it.”

“Promise?”

  
“I promise.” Deadlock smiled. "I Promise, my Little Flame. No one will ever hurt you again. We will protect you."


End file.
